Under-21s defeated by Cottagers

Our Under-21s faced an uphill battle as Fulham notched up a 4-1 win in the Premier League 2 on Friday night.

Playing our second match at Stevenage in four days, we conceded early in both halves and although midfielder Callum Olusesi pulled one back with his second goal in as many league games seven minutes after the interval, the Cottagers soon restored their two-goal cushion through captain Chris Donnell's second of the night, before substitute Aaron Loupalo-Bi bundled home a stoppage-time fourth to complete a final scoreline that was harsh on goalkeeper Luca Gunter, who starred with a string of outstanding saves throughout the night.

There was positive news at the start of the evening with the return to action of striker Will Lankshear after injury but while he fired an early free-kick just over the bar, he was generally starved of service during a first half in which we spent more time on the back foot than we'd have liked.

Fulham needed less than four minutes to hit the front, Callum Osmand speeding in behind and deftly squaring for Martial Godo to tap home and it was only the brilliance of Gunter - plus a goal-line clearance from Maeson King - that prevented them from building up a bigger lead, the goalkeeper making a great block to deny the onrushing Osmand, then diving low to thwart Godo before we'd even reached the 10-minute mark.

Godo's shot from the left angle in the box was heroically blocked on the line by defender King on 19 minutes, with Gunter tipping Oliver Gofford's rasping long-range shot over the bar immediately afterwards before the latter's header from the resulting corner flew just off-target.

We almost found a response on 20 minutes when Lankshear teed up Rio Kyerematen to blast one from distance, the midfielder's rising shot crashing back off the crossbar but while we began to take hold of the ball for longer periods, the Cottagers were always a threat and Jonathan Esenga curled a free-kick just wide, before Godo's tame angled effort from inside the box was easily gobbled up by Gunter in first-half stoppage time.

The custodian was there again to keep out Osmand's deflected shot at the start of the second period but just three minutes after the restart, we found ourselves two goals behind as Osmand flicked on a long ball out from the back and Donnell lifted it over the advancing keeper to find the net.

We pulled one back on 52 minutes when Damola Ayayi's pressing forced a mistake from Fulham goalkeeper Alfie McNally with Olusesi collecting the loose ball in midfield and firing into the empty net from long-range. The visitors nearly hit straight back, a combination of Gunter and King denying Godo before the keeper kept out further efforts from Godo and Gofford in short order - incredible stuff from the England youth international. But our resistance was finally broken again on the hour mark when Donnell nodded home the second ball amidst a crowded box after Gunter had punched a corner from Esenga off his line.

Tyrese Hall's fierce strike drew a good stop from McNally, whose opposite number was called upon yet again to make one-v-one saves from Loupalo-Bi and Godo, the second of which was rendered irrelevant when the referee pulled play back after the fact. Substitute Leo Black rattled the crossbar late on with a good strike from a central position as we tried to respond, but the Cottagers broke away and added a fourth goal in the second minute of stoppage time, Lemar Gordon denied by Gunter at the near post before managing to squeeze the rebound through to fellow substitute Loupalo-Bi to divert home from a couple of yards out.

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Olusesi 52; Fulham - Godo 4, Donnell 48, 60, Loupalo-Bi 90+2.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Hall 32, Olusesi 59, Black 90+2; Fulham - Esenga 2, Gofford 22.

Referee: Alan Young.

Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.

Weather: Clear skies, mild, 18 degrees.

Attendance: 434.